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“Cooking seafood is, in truth, not that simple.” These are the first words that appear in Eric Ripert’s latest cookbook, Seafood Simple. He goes on to explain: “It has taken me decades to truly realize the complexities of seafood, to develop and master a knowledge for it.” Ripert has honed his expertise through decades spent as the executive chef of Le Bernardin, a position he’s held since 1994. Now his knowledge is distilled into a detailed book that you’ll be reaching for for years to come.
Under Ripert’s stewardship, Le Bernardin has been awarded three Michelin stars each year since 2005, maintained four stars from the New York Times since 1995, and has been among the World’s 50 Best Restaurants each year since 2005. Seafood Simple demystifies the food that's won Ripert all of these accolades. Even the restaurant's signature tuna carpaccio becomes approachable when you realize it’s just a matter of sourcing some high-quality tuna belly and using a gentle hand to reduce the fish into a paper thin sheet—a technique that is demonstrated in vivid step-by-step detail.
Seafood Simple is a follow-up to Vegetable Simple, which was published in 2021. The book divides recipes into nine classic cooking methods, including raw, cured, broiled, and preserved. This structure allows the reader to decide first how they want to cook, then provides options to satisfy their needs, cravings, or skill level. And while there are similarities between Le Bernardin and Seafood Simple, on the whole, the recipes are far simpler in execution than the dishes you’d be served while dining at his restaurant. You’ll find quick recipes like shrimp that’s bathed in garlic oil broiled for three minutes, and basil-scented foil packets of halibut. Yet the book’s most luxurious quality is that it will allow you to prepare seafood as well as the cooks in Ripert’s kitchen.
Who this book is for
Maybe you’ve never shucked an oyster or deveined a shrimp. Perhaps you didn’t spend your summers breaking down lobsters for the umpteenth roll at the seafood shack—you will still nail these recipes at home. And for those who feel a little more familiar when it comes to filleting a fish, be prepared to challenge yourself too with dishes like Smoked Salmon “Croque Monsieur” and the classic, Lobster Thermidor. This book will meet you where you are, whatever your cooking skill level is.
Ripert’s ability to appeal to cooks of all levels may be rooted in the fact that he himself has been a chef at all levels. “I wasn’t born with knife skills,” he writes. “It was a long journey through culinary school and my first kitchen jobs before I began to understand, learn, and finally master the techniques that today allow me to cook demanding food in complicated ways.”
“Demanding” and “complicated” may describe his day-to-day at work, but with his cookbook, Ripert has stripped away unnecessary complexities to expose the underlying beauty of a simply prepared piece of fish.
What we can’t wait to cook
Having grown up in Maine, seafood was on my table at most meals, and the Halibut With Warm Herb Vinaigrette feels like a dish straight out of my childhood. Salmon Strudel served with warm truffle butter and a flourish of julienned black truffle is only a tad more extravagant than anything I tasted growing up, and I’m more than happy to make the upgrade. Ripert leaves plenty of room in his book for seafood snacks, too, and the Salt Cod Fritters will make the perfect bite while sipping a glass of Albariño.
